Fog Is Teeming With Life, And It May Be Doing Us a Surprising Favor

A two-year study of radiation fog in Pennsylvania found live bacteria not just surviving, but dividing inside fog droplets.

Methylobacterium dominated the fog microbiome and appeared to consume formaldehyde and other volatile compounds faster than expected.

The results suggest fog is a living habitat, not only a transport medium for microbes, and may help naturally remove some air pollutants.

The findings could change how scientists think about air quality, atmospheric chemistry, and microbial life in cloud and fog water.